Yesterday's Child
by Slightly Sinister Sinestra
Summary: Simple little story. Hagrid decides noone should be alone for Christmas. No HBP.
1. Chapter 1

Yesterday's Child

Disclaimer: Love Hagrid, love Snape, but unfortunately I own neither them or anything else in this fic save the plot.

Summary: One shot. Christmas cake and tea, Hagrid style. No HBP.

Rating: K+

Hagrid settled back in his (suitably enlarged) armchair in the staff common room, warmed by the roaring fire and the tea, with its firewhiskey lacing, in his stomach. He felt the beginings of a comfortable drowzeyness on the edges of his mind, and wasn't bothered in the slightest by it. He watched the antics of his fellows, embued with the students' infecious holiday cheer, with a fuzzily good humoured smile and slightly blurred vision.

Minerva and Flitwick were currently engaged in a surreptitious sniping war, firing off minor charms and transfigurations to make holly and mistletoe dance around people's heads, and change drinking glasses into birds, and stools into small dogs. Everyone else was in too much of a good mood to mind all that much as the escalating competition caused a Beauty & the Beast style cuttlery performance, and a real live partridge in a pear tree in place of a lamp. Dumbledore, in another of his outrageous star-sporting robes, had been cornered by a tag-team of Sinstra and Sybil, one busily (and somewhat drunkenly) correcting the positions of the astral bodies, and the other earnestly discussing the interesting portents they contained. Finally, desperate, Albus shut them up by sweeping Sybil under one of Flitwick's floating mistletoes, and kissing her soundly. Sinstra collapsed giggling, the staff roared appreciatively, and Sybil, having gotten over the shock, set about persuing the Headmaster with renewed vigour.

Rubeus chuckled into his beard, watching the Headmaster's somewhat frenzied retreat, all the while laughing his white head off. Hagrid quietly cheered Sybil on, rumbling encouragements. 'Go on, Sybil! Yeh've nearly got 'im now!' It was a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas party.

Then the large man frowned slightly. It seemed not everyone was here to enjoy it. There was one presence conspicuous in its absence. True, the man rarely came up here, but it was Christmas. You weren't supposed to be alone on Christmas. Come to think of it, though, Hagrid couldn't remember having seen him at any of the Christmas parties over the years. Well, that wasn't right. Man should have company on this night, of all nights. Rising and making his excuses, he set off in search of Severus Snape.

There was a damp chill in the air down in the dungeons. Hagrid had been down here plenty of times before, and he still didn't see how anyone could live in these places. Come winter, you'd be freezing, and it was always in gloom. Living here'd really get your spirits down after any length of time. No wonder Snape was always so dour. Well, OK, he'd always been like that anyway, but it couldn't have helped any.

He reached the entrace to Snape's quarters, just another darkwood door among many. There really wasn't anything to distinguish it from any other, save a discrete brass sign announcing the professor's name and subject. To tell the truth, it looked far more like an office door that the entrance to someone's home away from home. But then, the professor never had been one for obvious sentiment. Things were there to serve their purpose, not make you feel better.

He knocked, planning how to approach the snarly professor, much as he would plan the approach to any dangerous (by other's standards) creature. The door swung open roughly. 'Albus, for the last time! I am not coming to any damned party! ... Oh. It's you, Hagrid. What do you want?' Hagrid smiled at the swiftly masked surprise in the other man's face. He obviously had been expecting a reproach from the Headmaster, not a half giant on his doorstep. Well, that was interesting.

'I've come t' ask for yer help with some'at, professor.' Snape raised an eyebrow. 'Oh?'

'It's Fang, sir. I don't think he's bin feelin' to well. I was wonderin' if yeh'd come and have a look at 'im?' Snape sneered. 'Hagrid, you are our resident creature expert. I know next to nothing of how to take care of animals.' 'Now, tha's not true, sir. I remember when you was a student, an' you takin' care of tha' cat you was sent. Took care of him right well, yeh did.' A flicker of expression crossed the other's face: sadness, fondness, remembrance. Hagrid smiled softly. 'An' anyway, yeh know the potions and stuff tha'll make him better,' he tried, playing the slightly stupid giant card for all it was worth. It worked on most people.

Not Snape, it seemed. 'And stuff? Hagrid, what are you up to?' Uh-oh. Rumbled. Before he could try to recover, though, the potions master sniffed, and turned back into the room. 'Well, I suppose it'll do no harm to have a look at him. As long as we don't make any _detours_ on the way. I'm not going to any party.' Hagrid grinned in relief. 'Of course not, professor! Straight there. Promise.' Snape came back out to him, a thick cloak swirled round his shoulders, and a satchel slung over his arm. 'Wha's that?' Snape looked at him curiously. 'Ingredients. I don't want to have to make two trips on this. I should have everything I need for whatever your dog is likely to have gotten.' Oh. Right. _Ya gotta be more careful, Rubeus. This one don't fool easy._ 'Shall we, then?'

As soon as they were in the door of his cottage, Fang trotted forward to sniff them over and slobber on them a bit. 'Ah, sorry about tha', professor. He tends to drool a bit. Well, a lot, actually.' Hagrid wasn't sure how the obsessively neat man would react to Fang's ... excesses. To his surprise, though, Snape knelt down in front of the dog to allow him to check him out fully, seemingly oblivious to the copious amounts of saliva he was getting on his robes. He fondled the dog's ears gently, murmuring a greeting. Hagrid was surprised, but pleased. Fang rather liked it as well, nudging the thin chest with his great head and growling slightly with pleasure. Snape smiled at this, shoving the dog playfully back, and climbing to his feet. He turned to Hagrid.

'Hagrid, there is nothing wrong with Fang, and you know it. Why am I here?' he asked quietly. A few minutes ago, Hagrid would have been worried at this, afraid he'd lost the man, but he could see now that if Snape hadn't at least partly wanted to come, he wouldn't be here. Maybe his loneliness was finally getting to him. But Hagrid could understand why he didn't want to go up to the party. The intensely private, withdrawn child Hagrid remembered had grown into an intensely private man. The wild antics inherent in the staff get-togethers would only grate on his nerves. Hagrid knew what it felt like to only want some nice quiet time with someone content to sit in silence.

He smiled gently at the resigned potions master. 'I just thought yeh might like to sit an' have a cup o' tea with me. It's a touch draughty down in them dungeons, and I thought it'd be nice an' warm for yeh out here. Plus, Fang's been missin' yeh since yeh went out patrollin' with us a couple o' months back. He thought yeh were a grand fellow.' Snape looked down curiously at the animal collapsed happily on his feet. 'Guess animal instincts aren't all they're cracked up to be,' he said softly. 'Now, none o' that. Fang's never bin wrong about a person yet. An' I've never been wrong, either. So, sit yerself down, professor. I'll put on a pot of tea.' He watched the man cautiously take a seat, then bustled around getting things ready.

'Slice o' cake, sir?' he asked. Snape, distracted, looked up from a contemplation of Fang's ears. 'What?' Hagrid held up the plate. 'Christmas cake, sir. Made it meself. Like to try a piece?' Hagrid knew of the reputation his cooking had round the school, so was fairly sure the professor would decline, but he might as well ask. The man could do with a bit of filling out. 'Oh. Thank you, yes.' Hagrid blinked, then shrugged and handed over a sizeable chunk. Snape took it gingerly and tried it. He chewed for a minute while Hagrid watched in amazement. He swallowed, and looked up at the cook. 'Um, exactly how much firewhiskey have you put in this, Hagrid?' Hagrid grinned. 'Warms yeh right up, doesn't it, sir?' Snape stared at him for a moment, then smiled tentatively back. 'Better hurry up with that tea, then. I'll need something to ease it down. Wouldn't do to waste the whiskey by getting the cake stuck before it hits the stomach. I must warn you, though, I tend to be a bit weird when drunk.' 'Ain't everyone, sir?'

Some time later, they sat comfortably beside the fire, Fang curled up on the sofa beside Snape, Hagrid sitting opposite on a chair. They both had a warm cup of tea clasped in hand, and were both feeling pleasantly sleepy. Hagrid turned to his quiet companion. 'Sir, I've bin meanin' to ask yeh. How come yeh didn't mind when Fang drooled on yeh? I always thought yeh didn't like mess.' Snape stared into the fire for a long moment before answering softly. 'There have been far worse things staining my robes over the years. I don't mind a little dog drool from a friend.' Hagrid nodded, not persuing it. He was glad that Snape at least thought of Fang as a friend, if not himself.

'And Hagrid?'

'Yeah, sir?'

'It's Severus.'

Hagrid smiled. 'Rubeus, Severus.'

They simply nodded to each other, companionably, and settled back to doze.

_Today's child is bold and brave_

_Yesterday's child is older and grave_

_How shall tomorrow's be?_


	2. Chapter 2

I never planned to continue this, but my other fics are beginning to get me down a bit, so what the hell. Hagrid/Snape friendships are good.

Chapter 2: Christmas Morning

Severus came to slowly, conscious only of warmth and a comfortable weight on his legs. His head was throbbing, but not badly. He'd had alcohol recently, but not enough to completely incapacitate him. He probably should get up, but he was far too comfortable to consider that yet. He had a warm fuzzy dream of staying here forever, snug and comfy, with a nice buzzing in his brain. Chuckling softly, eyes still closed, he indulged himself with the thought that he could do just that.

'How yeh doin' there, Severus?' came Hagrid's deep rumble somewhere above him. He cracked an eyelid reluctantly, grumbling slightly. Rubeus only chuckled at him. 'Guess yeh're not at yer best of a mornin', eh? Don't matter to me. I jus' wondered if yeh'd like a bit of breakfast.'

Breakfast. Food! Severus' stomach practically sat up and begged as he finally noticed the smells emanating from the fireplace. Bacon frying, some egg, and the smoky smell of burning toast. Merlin's beard, he'd died and gone to heaven! Nothing had ever smelled so good.

He struggled to sit up, fighting with Fang for possession of his legs. The old dog glared at him grumpily, slobbering on him, possibly in revenge but more likely in some misguided attempt at a greeting. Severus glared back with a viguor, good mood climbing another little bit. He pulled his trapped legs decisively out from under the mastiff, grinning in triumph, and turned to find Rubeus staring at him, a silly smile plastered over his huge face. Severus blinked, realising what a picture he must make, snarly potions master turned childish layabout, but for some reason he couldn't care less. He'd almost suspect Hagrid had fed him some mood enhancers or something last night, but he knew the gentle half giant would never do something that underhanded. That was Severus' job, after all. He simply felt like a weight of some kind had been lifted from him, although nothing had really changed.

'Grub's up!' Rubeus announced cheerfully. Severus made to move to the table, but Hagrid simply plopped the plate down in his lap before sitting opposite him with his own breakfast. Severus stared down at the plate. Two fried eggs stared back, slightly burned around the edges, surrounded by crispy sides of bacon, and a slab of bread, so thick it could be used as a floor slab, absolutely saturated in butter. He was conscious of Fang's covetous stare, and the stream of drool intensifying. Catalysed into action, he started on the meal with a will, determined that the animal wouldn't get a single crumb of his precious, precious breakfast. It was his, all his, and he was _not_ sharing!

'Slow down there, Severus,' Rubeus muttered, a smile twitching his lips. 'Yeh'll make yerself sick.' Severus only grunted, completely absorbed in his eating. It was absolutely the best breakfast he'd ever had.

He finally gave up half an hour later, simply unable to stomach such a large meal after so long skimping on food. Regretfully sliding his final strip of rasher over to Fang, he glared reproachfully at the dog. 'Don't get cocky, dog,' he muttered. 'Doesn't mean I'm gonna let you have my bacon again. Just this once, y'hear.' Rubeus laughed delightedly.

'Yeh won't get away with that, yeh know!' he chuckled. 'He's gonna get yeh again. He likes yeh now, and he knows yeh'll give him stuff. He's gonna be yehr everlastin' friend now, just as long as yeh keep givin' him somethin' to eat and a rub now and then. Yeh won't get off that easy!'

Severus grumbled under his breath, delighted in his own way. He took the dog's great head between his hands and laid his forehead against Fang's. 'You're a sneaky old bastard, aren't you?' he murmured. 'Worming your way into my good books by keeping me warm last night, and then grabbing my breakfast. You sneaky, fuzzy, fat old animal you. You're lucky it's Christmas morning, or I'd give you such an earfull! Silly old thing ...' He trailed off, simply resting his head on the dog's, happily.

He felt Rubeus' warm gaze on his back, and sat back up to look at him. The half giant grinned at him, quiet joy in his crinkled, expressive face. Friendly. Friend. That was it. That was the weight that was lifted. He smiled back, surprised by the realization, but curiously comforted. He had a friend. That simple fact lifted his heart, bringing such a joyous feeling to the little sunlit cottage that he was loathe to ever think of leaving it.

But Dumbledore would be down to his rooms soon, looking to wish him a happy Christmas. He'd have to brew up that backlog for the hospital wing, and keep an eye on his Slytherins who'd stayed for the holidays. He had so much to do.

'Yeh need to go, eh?' Rubeus asked softly. Severus nodded slowly. Hagrid stood, holding out a large hand to help him out of his little nest of couch and blanket and Fang. He stood carefully, leaning a bit on the other man as his back twinged in protest after the night spent curled up. Hagrid propped him up onto his feet, still grinning a bit.

'Why don't yeh come back after tea and I'll make us somethin' for supper? Bit of a Christmas dinner, or somethin' like that. If yeh can stand my cooking, that is?'

Severus laughed, recognising the subtle reassurance that he could come whenever he wanted, that he'd always be welcome here, with Rubeus and Fang. He felt a warm glow, happy at that thought. 'Of course I'll come,' he assured. 'Your cooking, while not gourmet standard, is more than enough for me! Thanks for that!'

'Anytime,' Rubeus grinned. Fang slumped to the door to watch him leave, tail wagging lazily. Severus practically bounced up the grounds, only restraining his exuberence as he came in proper view of the castle. It wouldn't do for his students to see him all but skipping up to the doors. He had a reputation to keep up, after all. But he couldn't help feeling light and happy.

A friend. It was undoubtedly the best Christmas present he'd ever recieved.

Well? How was that for an unplanned update? R&R?


End file.
